This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described herein, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Instant messaging applications have provided the ability for communication between two or more users quickly between electronic devices. The use of instant messaging applications on mobile wireless devices has enabled users to connect and stay connected with groups of people via text, audio and video based messages no matter where they are. The inclusion of location identification capabilities in wireless mobile devices, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), have further enabled information to be delivered to the devices based upon their location. Wireless mobile devices can determine their location with considerable accuracy but have primarily been limited to mapping and navigation applications. The advent of instant messaging and social networking applications have created an increased desire to be aware of the activities and locations of friends, family, groups, and various contacts. Further, user privacy has been recognized as a problem in practical social networks, namely, balancing a users' desire of sharing their data with the users' needs to keep data private against future undesired consequences.
Hence, what is needed is an instant messaging social network system, method, and application that allows its users to chat with one another while providing enhanced location-based features, enhanced privacy controls, secure backups, augmented reality features, marketing features.